by Winepisser | Jul 4, 2021 | Full Article
I’m not sure if I should get a medallion or something, but it’s been over a year since I had my last glass of wine. Today I finally broke that streak, with a glass of my favorite Peruvian offering, the Viña Vieja Chenin Blanc. It’s literally the...
by Winepisser | Dec 29, 2020 | Full Article
Obviously — obviously — there won’t be any Winepisser awards for 2020. Sigh. In January, I reviewed one wine, a 2.5 star bottle of junk, and then prepped to review a lot more. By April, I was under national lockdown, and alcohol sales were...
by Winepisser | May 11, 2020 | Full Article
It doesn’t take an aerospace expert to notice the last Winepisser blog post was from February. That post announced, without the usual fanfare, the Winepisser 2019 Best Wine award. Since then, this site has been nearly dead. You can, of course, blame Ol’...
by Winepisser | Feb 25, 2020 | Full Article
The fifth annual Winepisser Best Wine award goes to California’s Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel 2015, a fantastic bottle of crafted from (according to the maker) “16 different vineyard blocks of old vine zinfandel vineyards with an average age of 87...
by Winepisser | Jan 15, 2020 | Quick Review
Noseless and tepid, a hint of strawberry but only if you squint.
by Winepisser | Dec 31, 2019 | Quick Review
Crisp and very clean Hungarian Tokaj, notes of melon and slight grass. Was served over chilled which probably hindered the tasting. Nice floral nose.
by Winepisser | Dec 24, 2019 | Quick Review
Just in time for Christmas I tried this Scrooge of a wine: bitter and unpleasant, and overdue for a visit from the Ghost of Cabs Past. Very disappointing. Nose is black cherry, palate is finely aged gasoline.
by Winepisser | Dec 15, 2019 | Quick Review
Dull reez with little zip and less character, like a beaten up Volkswagen that’s had its radio stolen.
by Winepisser | Nov 28, 2019 | Quick Review
Nose explodes, filling the room with great fruity notes after uncorking. On the palate it’s more refined and shy, a fairly typical new world cab that is fine for its pedigree but not up to California snuff. Basement must, nuts and black cherry. Paired well with...
by Winepisser | Nov 25, 2019 | Quick Review
Another incredible Tannat from Uruguay, with heavy notes of plum and other dark fruits. Lacking the smokiness and earth of other Uruguayan Tannats, but it’s still very good. A bit young. Improves with air.
by Winepisser | Nov 4, 2019 | Quick Review
Fantastic red from Portugal. Nose is complex, smacking your smoother with equal parts fruit and earth. Smooth tannins and notes of blackcurrant and leather. Finish is long but a bit bitter, robbing this of one half star. Otherwise very, very good.
by Winepisser | Oct 25, 2019 | Quick Review
Nose is grape jelly. Everything else isn’t, though. Medium dry, with some earthy notes that take it far away from jammy. Moderate but smooth tannins surprise. A bit of green olive hides beneath the fruit. Not bad, but was expecting more from this grape.
by Winepisser | Oct 15, 2019 | Quick Review
Milk chocolate and slight dark earth on the nose. Palate is smooth, silky plum. Tannins come around only at the end. Very good but so-so finish keeps this from a higher score.
by Winepisser | Oct 14, 2019 | Quick Review
Came recommended but fell short. Blackberry is the main note but it gets bitter quickly. Nice back end and finish but not enough to improve the score. Some weird fruit notes (peach in a red?) at the start but they burn away quickly. Meh
by Winepisser | Oct 3, 2019 | Quick Review
Grape jelly on the nose but this isn’t overly jammy… Probably just the right amount of fruit, given that most malbecs are tending towards dull, fruitless creations. Short finish means it’s not memorable though. Other notes are mild earth and black...
by Winepisser | Sep 25, 2019 | Quick Review
So-so grenache, representative of the more mediocre end of the breed. Drinks fine but also is entirely forgettable. Some interesting earthy notes but there’s a tiny hint of chemicals that I’m pretty sure doesn’t belong there.
by Winepisser | Sep 25, 2019 | Quick Review
Old vine grenache is great when you can find it, and this one doesn’t disappoint. Subtle black cherry combines with black soil earthy notes and surprisingly smooth tannins. Hints of cedar. Brief finish keeps this from five stars. Was served aerated.
by Winepisser | Sep 9, 2019 | Quick Review
Spanish cab overwhelms any syrah in this blend, resulting in something that may not be better than the sum of its parts, just different than them. The fruit hire is surprisingly ripe and a bit acerbic. Finish was shallow. Was served aerated when tasted, left to stand...
by Winepisser | Sep 6, 2019 | Quick Review
Potent blueberry nose will make you think of blueberry waffles, but on the tongue it is brisk, dry and bearing less fruit than expected. Not particularly deep with a brief finish but surprisingly enjoyable. Stood up to spicy pasta. Better than some reviews...
by Winepisser | Sep 3, 2019 | Quick Review
Slightly flinty with only hints of citrus, mostly lemon. Somewhat unremarkable, which is about right since it was served on an airplane.
by Winepisser | Sep 2, 2019 | Quick Review
Example of the hondarrabi zuri grape you’ve likely never heard of. Color is deep gold, nose is very faint with hint of minerals. On the palate it’s citric, dry and evoking little fruit. By itself it came off as a bit dull, but paired well with duck confit...
by Winepisser | Sep 1, 2019 | Quick Review
Nose is slightly grassy with some surprising vanilla notes. On the tongue it’s nearly buttery but not in overbearing chardonnay way; just not something you’d expect in a sauvignon blanc. Another example of just how far apart Loire SB is from the New...
by Winepisser | Aug 31, 2019 | Quick Review
Silky smooth cab, heavy on fruit but sufficiently dry to avoid an insult of jamminess. Blackberry is dominant and carries through to the nose, notes of fresh leather add some bookish kick. Finish is long if subtle. From the Red Mountain region of Columbia Valley WA....
by Winepisser | Aug 6, 2019 | Quick Review
Licorice dominated for me, so much so that it nudged down a half star since I’m not a fan of licorice. Blackberry is strong, but middling tannins and some unevenness suggest this either needs more time or possibly should sit open in the glass a good hour before...
by Winepisser | Aug 5, 2019 | Quick Review
Very sweet wine wrongly marketed by the maker as “semi.” Equally dubious is their refusal to name the grapes and instead just call them “Niagara,” making me suspect it’s concord. The wine definitely tastes suspiciously close to concord...
